Ministry's Al Jourgensen
Photo: Steffab Chirazi

"Obviously, my muse for the past six years has been George W.," Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen admitted recently, "and he's going to be riding off into the sunset soon, so I figured I'd just go out with him."

That's right — Ministry's September 18 disc, The Last Sucker, will indeed be their studio-album swan song.

"Everyone seems to think I make sh--ty records when there are Democrats in office," he laughed. "Since I'm really on the top of my game right now, it would be nice to end on a high note instead of keep releasing sh--ty albums well into my 60s," he added.

Of course, Jourgensen isn't about to fade away without blasting a final cache of industrial-metal ammunition at the White House. The Last Sucker is venomous and brutal, filled with caustic riffs, political sound bites and ranting, distorted vocals. The new LP incorporates elements of Ministry's finest albums, including the mechanized precision of 1988's The Land of Rape and Honey; the blowtorch fury of 1992's Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed & the Way to Suck Eggs; the hazy, lumbering fear and rage of 1996's Filth Pig; and the shovel-to-the-skull thrash and anti-Bush bile presented on 2004's Houses of the Molé and 2006's Rio Grande Blood. However, while Jourgensen admits The Last Sucker provides a comprehensive closing chapter to the story of the band he formed in Chicago in 1981, he insists he wasn't making a conscious effort to write the equivalent of an on-the-deathbed flashback.

"Me, [Prong guitarist] Tommy Victor and [Prong/ Killing Joke bassist Paul] Raven just went in and jammed, and the only idea that we had going in was that we didn't have any ideas," Jourgensen said. "This is definitely a fitting end to it all, but that's just the way it came out. There's a couple songs left on a shelf somewhere in case I die in a plane crash and they want to release outtakes, but for the most part, we picked out the ones that made the record flow in a way that, as it turned out, encapsulated the Ministry sound."

Jourgensen and his cohorts started writing The Last Sucker in February and finished tracking the album in June. In part, the rapid pace of production was necessary for Jourgensen to adhere to his tight schedule. As soon as he finished the album, he started putting songs together for an upcoming disc of Ministry covers — some new, some old — called Cover Up. The disc will feature numerous guests, including Static-X's Wayne Static (singing "I Want You [She's So Heavy]" by the Beatles); Cheap Trick's Robin Zander (singing Golden Earring's "Radar Love"); Fear Factory's Burton Bell (Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb"); and Victor and Mountain guitarist Leslie West (Mountain's "Mississippi Queen"). Cover Up will also include previously released covers of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut," Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay," the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" (which is on The Last Sucker) and Magazine's "The Light That Pours Out of Me."

As if that's not enough, Jourgensen is currently producing and playing on the debut album by Ascension of the Watchers, Bell and Fear Factory keyboardist John Bechdel's new band. And Al is also getting ready to start working on the final Revolting Cocks record, which is due next year.

"In the '90s, I was releasing a new record every three years," Jourgensen said. "Now we do records in three to six months at most and just work our asses off. The old Ministry records took a long time partially because of drug-induced lethargy, but also because I was still learning my craft and experimenting with a lot of things. A lot of it wouldn't work and I'd scrap it and end up wasting, like, three weeks of time on a single thing. But now we're a bunch of old grumps and we know what we want, we know what we sound like, and we're pretty comfortable in our skins. So we can have a good time and still knock out a record really quickly that everyone's 100 percent happy with."

Ministry will support The Last Sucker with one final worldwide tour with a lineup including Jourgensen, Raven, Victor, guitarist Sin Quirin (Revolting Cocks), drummer Jimmy DeGrasso (ex-Megadeth) and keyboardist Bechdel. But while Jourgensen is looking forward to the tour, he also looks forward to putting the lid on the Ministry coffin.

"Man, I'm so looking forward to not being the front guy on a brand name," he said. "When I was growing up, I loved Led Zeppelin, and I always wanted to be Jimmy Page. But I ended up being Robert Plant by default. I was the singer and the frontman when I always wanted to be — like in 'Wizard of Oz,' the guy behind the curtain. I get so much more done when I'm on the sidelines, and it's more suited to my personality. I'm a studio rat. I always will be. And now I'll be able to do, like, six projects a year, so it's actually much better. You'll actually get more sick of Al Jourgensen faster than if I was to keep doing Ministry. So I view this as my second career, not a retirement."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Looks like Static-X will be touring the U.S. this fall with Shadows Fall, 3 Inches of Blood and Divine Heresy in tow. While confirmed, just one date has been announced for the trek: October 30 in Hollywood. More dates will be revealed in the coming weeks. ... They've been talking about it for months, and now, at long last, there's finally an official release date for the next Dillinger Escape Plan LP, Ire Works. Alas, we're all going to have to wait a little longer than originally expected: The record will hit stores November 13. ...

New Orleans sludge-metallers Eyehategod have lined up a handful of live dates, but if you want to catch them, you'll need to head South. The band plays September 14 in Metairie, Louisiana; September 27 in Lafayette, Louisiana; September 28 in Austin, Texas; September 29 in Fort Worth, Texas; and September 30 in Monroe, Louisiana. ... Cattle Decapitation will head out in October with Arsonists Get All the Girls, the Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza and Veil of Maya for a brief U.S. run that will start October 13 in West Hollywood, California, and run through October 29 in Tucson, Arizona. A mere nine dates have been scheduled so far, but more will be announced as they're confirmed. In related news, an unmastered version of the Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza's newest track, "I Am the Ocean," has been posted on the band's MySpace page. It's from the group's upcoming album, Danza II: The Electric Boogaloo, which will be in stores October 16. ...

Between the Buried and Me will tour this fall in support of their forthcoming album Colors, which is slated for release September 18. The trek, which kicks off September 26 in Greensboro, North Carolina, will also feature Horse the Band, Animosity and the End. Dates are scheduled through November 2 in Worcester, Massachusetts. ... The American Black Lung and I Am the Ocean kick off their Your Vultures Need Swallowing Tour on Friday night (August 17) in Salt Lake City. The tour runs through September 15 in Tucson, Arizona. ... Animosity's upcoming Animals LP will be chock-full of awesome guest spots. The record, out October 2, will feature singing by Cattle Decapitation's Travis Ryan, the Red Chord's Guy Kozowyk and A Life Once Lost frontman Bob Meadows. ...

In October, All Out War will begin recording an EP set for release through Innerstrength Records sometime later this year. Purity Through Annihilation will include five new songs, along with two covers and several demos dating back more than 15 years. ... Exodus, Arsis, Goatwhore and Warbringer will join forces this winter for a U.S. tour that is expected to kick off in West Hollywood, California, January 21. The tour is due to wrap in San Francisco on February 24. ... A brown recluse spider sunk its fangs into the Acacia Strain's Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz, forcing the metalcore act to cancel several shows — including the final date on this summer's Sounds of the Underground Tour. The band's future tour plans are up in the air as the guitarist undergoes treatment for the bite. ...

Speaking of bites, another one bites the dust, as they say: Sacramento, California's With Passion have called it a day — but they intend to take the stage one last time, on September 22 in Roseville, California. "We have been struggling to keep afloat in the business side of music for at least two years now," the band said in a statement. "We had high hopes that our new album would pull us out of that struggle, but instead, our album was released with less-than-expected promotion and distribution, and we ended up unable to even get on the road to support it. It simply seems ridiculous for us to continue on under this name since, as many of you have noticed, the last original member, [bassist] Mike Nordeen, departed the lineup about three months ago to go on to bigger and better things in the Human Abstract." Rising from the ashes, however, are Conducting From the Grave, the former band featuring several With Passion members. The group has been revived and plans to record soon. ...

The date has been set for Pennsylvania's Metalfest II: September 9. Here's how the lineup is shaping up: Full Blown Chaos, A Well Thought Tragedy, At the Throne of Judgment, Dim the Lights, Upon a Shallow Grave, Regain the Heart Condemned and Seas of David, plus several others. The shindig will start at 1 p.m. inside the Masonic Temple in Milton, and admission will set you back $15. ... Saosin will headline a U.S. fall tour, with Norma Jean and Alexisonfire opening. The trek launches October 1 in Fresno, California, and, 17 gigs later, wraps October 21 in Atlanta. ... Maryland Deathfest VI has been set for May 23-May 25 in Baltimore and will feature the likes of Monstrosity, Impaled, Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition, Hellnation, Martyr, the Day Everything Became Nothing, Engorged, Behold ... the Arctopus and others.

• Ministry
• Static-X
• Shadows Fall
• Dillinger Escape Plan
• The Red Chord

Kanye West
Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images

Don't believe Kanye West has a sense of humor? He's posted a hilarious new "Can't Tell Me Nothing" clip, starring underground comedian Zach Galifianakis and indie-folkie Will Oldham, on his site. According to Billboard.com, the hilarious low-budget clip — which features Galifianakis and Oldham mouthing the words to the song while they hang with cows and gyrate against tractors — was filmed at Galifianakis' farm in North Carolina. Galifianakis also made a memorable appearance in Fiona Apple's "Not About Love" video, but he recently told Impose Magazine that it was his clip for Anita Baker's "You Bring Me Joy" that won over West. ...

Beyoncé took a big spill at her concert in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday night, tumbling headfirst down 12 steps at Amway Arena. Video capturing the gaffe is making the rounds on the Web — even though the singer told the crowd not to post the clip on YouTube. "Beyoncé's fall onstage last night ... was a case of her coat's hem getting caught in her shoes," her publicist Yvette Noel-Schure said in a statement issued Wednesday (July 25), "but Miss Knowles picked herself right up, without missing a beat, showing to all that she is the best." ... The Backstreet Boys have pegged October 30 as the release date for their new, yet-untitled album, which will be led by first single "Inconsolable," Billboard.com reports. Don't expect to hear Kevin Richardson on there, though — he left in June 2006 (and wasn't replaced). ...

Wyclef Jean has snatched up Akon, Lil Wayne and newcomer Niia for "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)," the first single from his forthcoming album Carnival II (Memoirs of an Immigrant). The Columbia release will hit stores in November. ...

Has "Deathly Hallows" left you with a question or two? You might be able to get an answer from the author herself — on Monday, "Harry Potter" publisher Bloomsbury will hold a live chat with J.K. Rowling on Bloomsbury.com. In other Potter news, publisher Scholastic says a few hundred of the 12 million copies of "Deathly Hallows" are missing pages, The Associated Press reports. The company said defective books can be replaced by bringing them back to point of purchase, but some fans are stowing them away as keepsakes. ...

Lindsay Lohan might have even more problems on her hands — according to TMZ.com, she pulled an illegal U-turn in April in Los Angeles that wound up causing an accident between vehicles driven by her bodyguard Jaz Bennett and another woman, Signe Dupuy. Dupuy says Bennett gave her a fake name and number after the accident and that she's considering filing suit against him and Lohan. A representative for Lohan told TMZ that a letter sent by Dupuy was filed away because it was assumed that it would also be sent to Lohan's lawyers. In yet another legal case involving Lohan, TMZ.com reports that she filed documents in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week pertaining to the October 2005 car crash in which she hit a parked van in Beverly Hills, California. Last month, Raymundo Ortega, the owner of the van, filed a lawsuit claiming Lohan was drunk at the time of the accident. In the documents she filed, Lohan claims the suit is "nothing more than an attempt to extort money from a celebrity by setting forth false and scurrilous allegations in a complaint." She said the police report claims, "Ms. Lohan had not been drinking. I did not observe any objective signs of either alcohol or drug intoxication and determined that no further investigation regarding intoxication was warranted." ...

It might not be showtime for Swizz Beatz if police in Camden, New Jersey, get their way. According to AP, authorities are threatening to drop their sponsorship of a peace rally due to the producer's scheduled appearance and his perceived anti-snitching stance on his single "It's Me Snitches." But Swizz released a statement to AP explaining the track, which has no anti-snitching content, was renamed for radio from its original title "It's Me Bitches." "If I supported violence or the 'Stop Snitching' campaign, I wouldn't have agreed to be a part of the event [in the first place]," he said in the statement. ...

Devo can't get any satisfaction these days — thanks to Korn. The New Wavers are lashing out at Jonathan Davis and the gang for allegedly biting the group's "devolution" concept in a fake movie trailer posted on EvolutionDevolution.com. "We denounce this as imposters playing with fire," Gerald Casale wrote in a post on Devo.com. He told RollingStone.com that Korn fans have been sending him hate mail since he posted the note on the site. "We went, 'Wow, this is insane. This is a perfect example of devolution. ... Gee, I'm sorry we thought all this up 30 years ago and have been putting it out there and preaching it ever since.' " ... A medical examiner was "hasty" in calling actress Lana Clarkson's death a homicide, forensic pathologist Dr. Werner Spitz testified for Phil Spector's defense on Wednesday (July 25), AP reports. "In my opinion, it was most likely a suicide," said Spitz, who added that he has seen autopsy reports. Spitz testified that Clarkson died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the mouth. ...

Mya and Claudette Ortiz, formerly of City High, headlined the weekly R&B Live showcase at Spotlight Live in Manhattan, New York, on Tuesday night. Music industry bigwigs Steve Stoute, Sylvia Rhone and Jacob "The Jeweler" Arabo were in attendance as D-Nice manned the DJ booth. ... Don't worry about calling Bartman — the Simpsons have the United Nations on their side. The World Intellectual Property Organization, a UN agency, ruled Wednesday that the ownership of the domain name TheSimpsonsMovie.com must be turned over to 20th Century Fox after the company complained about the address registered to Keith Malley of Brooklyn, New York. Malley had demanded a $50,000 fee to cede the domain name, but the WIPO found that he "has no rights or legitimate interests" to it. ...

Pearl Jam will perform an intimate concert at Chicago's Vic Theatre on August 2 — which will warm the guys up for their headlining set at Lollapalooza three days later. Tickets will go on sale Thursday, but only for members of the band's Ten Club fan organization; tickets won't be made available to the general public. ... Chevelle have rolled out a new set of tour dates for the late summer and early fall. The first show is set for August 25 in Grayslake, Illinois, and the tour is scheduled to run through September 16 in Dayton, Ohio. ...

In a recent interview, Disturbed guitarist Dan Donegan discussed the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next album. "Musically, [the next LP will be] a lot ballsier," he said. Donegan added that there will be "those signature things that are us, just 'cause stylistically that's the way we perform, and [frontman] David [Draiman], vocally, is always going to sound like him, so ... he's got some big melodic moments, but there's some still aggressive stuff. [We're] trying to get a good blend of the elements of the past three CDs to try to evolve into something fresh and new for us as well." The band will hit the studio in the fall and is planning an early 2008 release for the yet-untitled offering. ...

Indie "death-rapper" Necro has bailed from the Sounds of the Underground Tour because "the tour's demographic was not receiving hip-hop well," he said in a statement. "I was facing hostile, disrespectful crowds and was returning the same energy back tenfold by being more aggressive than them. It was making a lot of people in the tour crew nervous and there was concern someone might get hurt (not me)." ... The Eagles of Death Metal are starting to write material for the follow-up to 2006's Death by Sexy. According to frontman Jesse "The Devil" Hughes, the guys "hear your cries for boot-skootin', guitar-rock-tootin', sex-rock music, honeybabies," and promise a 2008 release for their next set. "EODM will quench your musical thirsts with a burst of mantastic-fantastic!!! Album #3 will be the greatest EODM release to date." ...

Don't expect to see the cast of "High School Musical" lighting up anytime soon — Disney has become the first major Hollywood studio to ban depictions of smoking in its family-oriented films, Reuters reports. In a letter to Representative Edward Markey — whose House committee recently held a hearing on how movie images affect children — Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger said Disney would "discourage" smoking in films distributed by its labels Touchstone and Miramax. He added that anti-smoking public-service announcements would appear on DVDs of films that do depict smoking and would encourage theaters to show similar PSAs along with such films. Markey called the move "groundbreaking."

07.24.07

Ja Rule's Sunday arrest in New York on a single felony weapon count was "another instance of hip-hop targeting," according to the rapper's attorney, Stacey Richman. She claims the .40-caliber Taurus pistol police recovered from inside the 2004 Maybach that Ja was riding in when he was arrested belonged to someone else. Ja; his driver, Mohamed Gamal; and his road manager, Dennis Cherry, were charged with criminal possession of a weapon and spent Sunday night in jail. The three were arraigned Monday afternoon, and Ja (born Jeffrey Atkins) was released on $150,000 bond. He's expected back in Manhattan Criminal Court November 7. According to Richman, the car in question was a company vehicle owned by Gamal's Maximum Transportation firm and is used by his clients. "If you get a car, and something's left in the car, is that yours?" Richman wondered. "How you can ascribe that anybody knows what's in a car?" She also contends that the car was stopped about a block away from the Beacon Theatre and that it had been "parked outside for two and a half hours, with the police department, and they ran the plates — they could have just handed out a ticket then, but they didn't. They waited for [Ja Rule] to get into the car." As for the speeding claims, Richman simply doesn't believe them: "Why would he speed for one block? What, he's going to speed to the next light on Broadway? Come on." The prosecutor's office would not comment on Ja Rule's arrest. ...

G-Unit's Tony Yayo was in court Tuesday morning (July 24) in connection with charges of harassment and endangering the welfare of a child, the 14-year-old son of Game manager Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond. According to Yayo's lawyer Scott Leemon, the rapper rejected a plea offer that would have him serve nine months in jail, and the case was adjourned until September 6. Leemon said the judge in the case asked for more time to make a decision on whether he will enforce subpoenas issued by Leemon to the public-relations firm for Rosemond's Czar Entertainment record label. Leemon would not discuss what information he is seeking from the PR firm. ...

R. Kelly is still feeding off his recent Double Up set, but he's already got another treat in store for next month: Ten new episodes in his "Trapped in the Closet" series. In his latest go-'round, R. dresses as a preacher in a wig — and even more amusingly, from the sound of it, an old man with a fake belly and beard, Billboard.com reports. A DVD encompassing the 10 eps will hit stores August 21, but you can catch them prior to that on, oddly enough, the Independent Film Channel. ... Lindsay Lohan's wax statue at Madame Tussauds in New York has a new addition: It's now dressed in black and white prison stripes. The museum pulled the same move with Paris Hilton's statue when the heiress went to jail. ...

Rage Against the Machine, Daft Punk, Iggy and the Stooges and Queens of the Stone Age are among the headliners of this year's Vegoose Festival. The third annual installment of the Las Vegas event, to be held October 27-28 at Sam Boyd Stadium, will also feature sets from Muse, Cypress Hill, the Shins, Public Enemy, Ghostface Killah, Pharoahe Monch, Battles, Gogol Bordello and more artists to be announced soon. The Stooges will perform their classic Fun House album in its entirety for the first time ever in the U.S. ...

Daughtry will hit the road next month for a spate of headlining gigs. Dates are scheduled from August 1 in Columbus, Ohio, through October 20 in Raleigh, North Carolina. ... Mandy Moore will team up with Paula Cole for a co-headlining tour set to kick off August 18 in Portland, Oregon, and expire August 25 in San Diego. Moore's also set to play some of her own headlining gigs, starting August 30 in Fort Worth, Texas. That trek runs through September 9 in Charlotte, North Carolina. ... Tori Amos has mapped out the U.S. leg of her world tour, which will launch October 9 in Albany, New York, and run through December 17 in Los Angeles. ...

Tupac Shakur's estate is trying to stop the late rapper's former label, Death Row Records, from selling his unreleased recordings as part of a bankruptcy settlement. Shakur's mother, Afeni, sought an injunction in federal bankruptcy court Friday, claiming the label was trying to sell Shakur material that belonged to the rapper's estate and should have been turned over to it as part of a 1997 agreement with Death Row. Shakur's lawyer Donald N. David said that during the label's bankruptcy proceedings, "it was revealed that an album's worth of unreleased Tupac material was being advertised to potential buyers as the jewel in the crown of the Death Row assets." ...

A Los Angeles judge has refused to dismiss Phil Spector's murder charge or reduce it to manslaughter on Tuesday, The Associated Press reports. Prosecutors rested their case Monday, and one of the attorneys said they might not even have to show the music producer pulled the trigger to the gun that killed actress Lana Clarkson in order for Spector to be convicted. "He had the gun in his home, loaded with his bullets," said Alan Jackson, who added that prosecutors only need to show that Spector pointed the gun at Clarkson. "Whether he pulled the trigger, whether he sneezed or she slapped his hand away or there was an earthquake — it doesn't matter. It's implied malice." The defense argued that implied malice wasn't shown and that the prosecution didn't support its second-degree-murder theory, so the charge should be dismissed or reduced. "It's very clear to me ... that there's more than enough substantial evidence to support a conviction if there was one," Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler said, refusing the motion. ...

Static-X, Shadows Fall, 3 Inches of Blood and Divine Heresy are planning a U.S. run that will commence in September. Dates and venues have yet to be announced, but we'll keep you posted. ... There's been some turmoil as of late in the world of Hopesfall. According to a statement from the band, it seems the only remaining member is singer Jay Forrest, meaning guitarists Joshua Brigham and Dustin Nadler, drummer Jason Trabue and bassist Mike Tyson have split. No explanation for the departures has been made public. ... Coheed and Cambria's forthcoming album, Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow, will hit stores October 23. ... The Bled's next effort, Silent Treatment, has been set for a September 25 release. The LP will contain 11 tracks, including "You Should Be Ashamed of Myself," "Platonic Sleepover Massacre" and "Breathing Room Barricades." ...

English manager Don Arden, the father of Sharon Osbourne, died Saturday in a Los Angeles nursing home, according to a BBC News report. He was 81. The man born Harry Levy in Manchester, England, but known variously as the "Al Capone of Pop," "The English Godfather" and "Mr. Big" for his uncompromising business practices was at one time the manager of acts ranging from ELO to the Small Faces and Black Sabbath. Sharon was famously estranged from Arden for nearly 20 years after she wrested control of husband Ozzy Osbourne's solo career and was forced to pay her dad a $1 million court settlement. The two reconciled in 2002. ... In an attempt to smooth the pathway to a proposed merger, satellite-radio competitors XM and Sirius have said that if the $4.7 billion merger is approved, they would offer new a la carte pricing plans that would allow users to pay only for the stations they want. The Washington Post reports that the proposed plans would start at $6.99 for 50 stations, which is almost half of the current price of $12.95 for about 150 stations, and include a $14.99 price for 100 stations and the option to add stations one at a time for 25 cents each.

• Harry Potter's Grand Finale: The Experts' Take
• Lindsay Lohan Arrested Again

• Kanye West
• Beyoncé
• Lindsay Lohan
• Pearl Jam
• Disturbed

Ozzy Osbourne
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

It was announced months ago that tickets for this summer's Ozzfest would be free to fans, and that the longest-running heavy metal festival would subsist on corporate sponsorships and little else.

But obtaining those free tickets for one of the dates on this year's run — which kicks off July 12 in Auburn, Washington, and continues through August 30 in West Palm Beach, Florida — might just give some metal fans a migraine (see "Osbournes Hype 'Groundbreaking' Ozzfest: 'Why Not Go To A Show For Free?' ").

First, you have to send an e-mail requesting tickets, and then wait for a confirmation e-mail containing a link to the Web site of one of the tour's various sponsors. Next, you have to wait until June 12 before you can enter that code on some other Web site to redeem two tickets to whichever date you'd like to attend. It's a whole rigmarole that some fans — or, more specifically, those willing to drop some serious scratch — can avoid.

That's right, folks — while this summer's Live Nation-sponsored Ozzfest will be free to most, some will fork over upward of $1,000 to get in. As in years past, Ozzfest's organizers will offer fans a number of VIP ticket packages for purchase, which will ensure them a seat for all the headbangin' action.

The festival's "Party Like a Rockstar" package — which includes preferred pavilion seating, access to the second-stage VIP viewing platform behind the mixing boards, access to the general VIP area, a behind-the-scenes tour and a special host "to help you rock harder than you have ever rocked before" — returns this summer, and will set you back $300. There's also the "I'm Part of the Show" package, which costs $666 and includes all the same perks, in addition to a seat on the Ozzfest stage during Osbourne's concert-closing set.

There's also the "Platinum" package, which will be available by auction in the not-so-distant future. The starting bid will be $1,000 and will be limited to only 10 guests per show. This offer includes everything the "I'm Part of the Show" package does, and then some. Fans who win the auction will also get a personal meeting with Osbourne and his band, along with a certificate signed by Sharon Osbourne. The proceeds of these tickets will go to the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

The festival's 12th annual installment boasts a bill including Ozzy Osbourne, Lamb of God, Hatebreed, Static-X, Lordi, Behemoth, Nile and In This Moment, among others.

For more on Ozzfest, check out the feature "Backstage at Ozzfest."

• Ozzy Osbourne
• Lamb of God
• Hatebreed
• Static-X
• Behemoth

Mariah Carey
Photo: Stuart Wilson/Getty Images

Mariah Carey will be honored for her dedication to VH1's Save the Music Foundation at the group's 10th anniversary gala, to be held September 20 at New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Jon Bon Jovi has also been added to the event — he will perform as part of a tribute to founder John Sykes — which will be co-headlined by John Mayer. ...

Justin Timberlake recently revealed to MTV News that he had written and produced a new song for Reba McEntire, but he didn't let us know that he'll be singing with the country crooner as well on the yet-unnamed track. Kelly Clarkson joins McEntire on "Because of You," the first single from Reba Duets, due September 18. ...

Speaking of Clarkson, we already knew she was going to be hitting the road hard this summer in support of her upcoming third album My December (due July 24), but now she's finally revealed the venues for the outing. After an appearance at the U.S. portion of the July 7 Live Earth event — which will take place at New Jersey's Giants Stadium — the 36-date tour will kick off July 11 at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon, and take her to cities including Denver, St. Louis, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Dallas and Los Angeles in August before wrapping up at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas on September 28. ...

Paris Hilton might not have to serve her full 45-day sentence due to jail overcrowding and a state requirement that grants inmates time off for good behavior, The Associated Press reported Thursday (May 10). "It's possible that it could be 21 days, 23 days," Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore told the news service. "It's a complicated formula that the state sets down. It's possible that she could do less time." He said the amount of time the heiress will spend in jail will be determined when she is booked into the county system. ...

Amy Winehouse stopped by New York's Aer on Thursday night to celebrate the U.S. gold certification of her Back to Black album. The Bombay Sapphire-sponsored bash included appearances by Mos Def, Talib Kweli and L.A. Reid. ... Meanwhile, producer Nate "Danjahandz" Hills was honored Thursday night at a dinner held at Manhattan's Gin Lane. The Timbaland protégé was recognized for his contributions to multiple hit singles and presented with his two Grammy Awards. ...

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" hasn't even opened yet, but Johnny Depp is already saying he's open to the idea of starring in a fourth installment, according to an Entertainment Weekly interview, Reuters reports. "As long as you're doing it for the right reasons, why not?" he says in the magazine, which hits newsstands Friday. "If we came up with a story where we could explore something absurd or funny or totally insane." ...

According to Little Rock, Arkansas, radio station KHTV, Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee got married over the weekend to her therapist/fiancee Josh Hartzler — the same weekend news of guitarist John LeCompt's firing and drummer Rocky Gray's resignation went public. A spokesperson for Lee would not confirm the nuptials on Wednesday, but John Lee — Amy's dad — confirmed to EvanescenceFan.net that his daughter tied the knot Sunday during a very private ceremony. ... Korn frontman Jonathan Davis and wife, Deven, welcomed their second son, Zeppelin, two weeks ago, according to various reports. The child joins the couple's other son, Pirate, as the newest member of the Davis kith. ...

As expected, Static-X have been added to the bill for this summer's Ozzfest, alongside headliner Ozzy Osbourne, Lamb of God, Lordi and others. Of course, this year's fest will be free for fans, and the news comes just days before the distribution of ticket codes begins Saturday. Ozzfest launches July 12 in Seattle. ... English rockers New Order are no more, according to bassist Peter Hook. In a post on Hook's MySpace page, he wrote that revealing the band's demise was a relief and that he hated keeping the split a secret. Hook appears on the debut LP from Perry Farrell's Satellite Party, Ultra Payloaded, which hits stores on May 29. He has also formed a new band, Freebass, with former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke and Stone Roses/ Primal Scream member Mani. ...

This year's Austin City Limits (September 14-16) festival is packed with major talent. The Texas fest will feature White Stripes, the Killers, Björk, Amy Winehouse, Queens of the Stone Age, Muse, Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, Wilco, Bob Dylan, My Morning Jacket, Arctic Monkeys, Joss Stone, Spoon, Heartless Bastards, Yo La Tengo, Joseph Arthur, Peter Bjorn & John, the Decemberists, Paolo Nutini, Regina Spektor, M.I.A., Butch Walker, Ben Kweller, Kaiser Chiefs, LCD Soundsystem and about 100 other acts ranging from bluegrass to jam band, techno, country and gospel. ... Hot Hot Heat's forthcoming LP, Happiness, LTD, has been slated for a September 11 release. The album was produced by the band, along with Rob Cavallo (My Chemical Romance, Green Day), Butch Walker (Pink, Avril Lavigne) and Tim Palmer (Ozzy Osbourne, H.I.M.). ...

Tool have added several new dates to their touring schedule. The band will make stops in Cape Girardeau, Missouri (June 16); Evansville, Indiana (June 17); Sioux City, Iowa (June 25); Cincinnati (June 29); Youngstown, Ohio (July 1); Grand Rapids, Michigan (July 5); Huntington, West Virginia (July 7); and Mansfield, Massachusetts (July 12). ... Chevelle have been forced to postpone their current tour until further notice following the theft of the band's equipment trailer. Containing all the band's gear, the trailer was stolen Wednesday from the Clarion Dallas Park Central Hotel in Dallas. Most of the stolen goods were labeled "Chevelle," and the band has asked that anyone who notices the gear being sold on eBay report the matter to police. ...

Tim Roth is bulking up the cast of "The Incredible Hulk." The actor, who will play the green-eyed monster Abomination in the summer 2008 flick, joins Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/ the Hulk and Liv Tyler as Betty Ross. ... "The Terminator" is returning, but Arnold won't be back — and neither will director James Cameron, Variety reports. Halcyon Co. has bought out the franchise for an undisclosed sum from feuding producers Andy Vajna and Mario Kassar and is targeting "Terminator 4" for a summer 2009 release. Castmembers and a director have not been hired yet, but "Terminator: Rise of the Machines" scribes John Brancato and Michael Ferris have already penned a script. "T3" executive producer Moritz Borman will produce the fourth installment as well. ...

No thanks for smoking: The Motion Picture Association of America announced Thursday that smoking will be factored into movie ratings, the Los Angeles Times reports. "There is broad awareness of smoking as a unique public-health concern due to nicotine's highly addictive nature, and no parent wants their child to take up the habit," MPAA Chief Executive Dan Glickman stated. Depictions that glamorize smoking may receive a higher rating, according to the organization. ... During Wednesday night's "American Idol" results show, host Ryan Seacrest announced an upcoming spinoff contest that will seek the best band in the land. Groups of all ages and styles hoping to vie for that title were encouraged to send in their demo tapes for the tentatively titled "The Search for the Next Great American Band," with information on submissions available on the official "Idol" Web site. No airdate for the show has been announced. ...

Sculptor Daniel Edwards, who famously made a life-size nude of Britney Spears giving birth, now has Paris Hilton in his sights. According to Reuters, he has crafted a sculpture of the heiress dead, naked and holding a cell phone in one hand. "It's really kind of a wakeup call for anybody who really pays attention to Paris Hilton close enough that they might end up emulating her," Edwards said of the piece, which is called "The Paris Hilton Autopsy." ... The New York Dolls will play a full set for their fallen comrade at the seventh annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash, to be held May 19 at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. Slinky Vagabond, featuring members of the Sex Pistols, Blondie and David Bowie's touring band, will also perform. ...

Brad Pitt's green building project in New Orleans began construction Thursday, AP reports. An environmentally friendly house, based on the winning design in a competition Pitt staged, is expected to be finished in August and is intended to serve as a model for redevelopment in the area. "I'm crying out for one of our leaders to really make this a priority," Pitt, who is in Prague, said in a statement. ... Jason Wahler has checked into rehab, according to People. The "Laguna Beach" star was sentenced to 60 days in county jail and 36 months' probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor-battery charges in March. ...

Michael Moore, who has been unabashed in his disdain for the Bush White House, is facing an investigation by the U.S. Treasury Department over his latest film, the health-care exposé, "Sicko." AP reports that the Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker is under scrutiny for taking ailing 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba for treatment earlier this year, allegedly without the proper clearance from the government. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control notified Moore in a May 2 letter that it was conducting a civil investigation for possible violations of the U.S. trade embargo restricting travel to Cuba, AP reports. "Sicko" premieres May 19 at the Cannes Film Festival and hits U.S. theaters on June 29.

05.09.2007

Fergie previewed her solo show Tuesday night with a private concert for contest winners at Franklin High School in Seattle. Her 20-date Verizon VIP Tour — which is skipping paper tickets in favor of cell phone photo-message passes — officially kicks off May 21 with a show in Pittsburgh. Following shows in cities including Cleveland (May 23), Atlanta (June 2), Dallas (June 6) and New York (June 21), the tour will wrap up July 24 in Portland, Oregon. Fergie is also Seventeen's June cover girl, and contributed a "Letter to Me at 17" to the magazine. The 32-year-old calls out her 17-year-old self's "giant bangs" and "bad perm" but congratulates her for not compromising her principles or disrespecting her body. "Sure, you'll be a giant flirt and wear sexy clothes, but you'll never take it to an unhealthy level and act on it," she says in the note. Fergie also warns young Stacy about the rough patches ahead (massive debt, drug addiction) and tells her to stay strong for the big bright spots in her future (Black Eyed Peas, solo success, Josh Duhamel). "Don't worry," she concluded. "You'll always come back to your roots." ...

Paris Hilton is "ready to face the consequences of violating probation," she said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon (May 9) by her attorney, according to The Associated Press. "I do not expect to be treated better than anyone else who violated probation. However, my hope is that I will not be treated worse." The heiress, who has retained a new attorney, DUI specialist Richard Hutton, said she felt the "need to correct what I believe are misperceptions about me." She added that she is not "above the law." ...

Jay-Z swung by New York's City Hall on Wednesday to watch his mother receive a proclamation from the City Council for her "outstanding contributions to the community," AP reports. Gloria Carter oversees the Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund, which offers higher-education aid and mentoring programs for disadvantaged youth, and she helped victims of Hurricane Katrina recover in Houston in 2005. "Very proud of her," Jay-Z said as they left the Council Chambers. ... Diddy, Nelly Furtado and Tom Jones have joined the lineup for the Concert for Diana, a July 1 event that will be held at Wembley Stadium in London to commemorate what would have been the late Princess of Wales' 46th birthday. Kanye West, Pharrell, Elton John, Lily Allen, Joss Stone and Duran Duran are also on the bill. ...

Akon has released a statement in the wake of a video that surfaced online and allegedly featured him dancing suggestively with an underage girl onstage in Trinidad. His statement also comes amid sponsor Verizon pulling out of Gwen Stefani's The Sweet Escape tour, which the rapper has been a part of. "I want to sincerely apologize for the embarrassment and any pain I've caused to the young woman who joined me onstage, her family and the Trinidad community for the events at my concert in Port of Spain on April 12," he said in the statement. "It was never my intention to embarrass or take advantage of my fans in any way, especially those under the age of 18. That is why we tried to make sure that the club did not admit anyone under 18 in the audience. Somehow, that standard was not met. Again, I apologize to those concerned and to all my fans and I pledge to all that we will strive to make sure this type of incident does not happen again." A spokesperson for Verizon confirmed to MTV News that the company has backed out of not just the Stefani tour but a new V Cast cell phone campaign that was set to feature Akon. The spokesperson stated the decision was made for a variety of reasons, not solely the underage-dancing incident. ...

A third woman has now testified that Phil Spector pulled a gun on her in the past, AP reports. Stephanie Jennings said in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday that the record producer previously threatened her with a gun and held her hostage in a hotel room. When she called 911, "[Spector] made the comment that, 'You can call your mom all you want, she can't help you now,' " Jennings said, adding that he didn't realize she was calling the emergency number. Spector was gone by the time police arrived, according to Jennings, and they didn't take her claims seriously. "They were treating me as if I was a call girl," she said. Jennings said she did not press charges and that Spector later invited her to subsequent parties. ...

Katharine McPhee and Kelly Rowland performed a musical tribute to the Bee Gees on Tuesday night as the group was honored at the BMI Pop Awards. The Gibb brothers were saluted as BMI Icons at the event, which was held in Beverly Hills, California. ... Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith is ganging up with an unlikely ally — ex-Black Sabbath frontman Glenn Hughes — for a performance at West Hollywood, California's Whisky a Go Go on June 2. The two worked together on Hughes' solo project from last year, Music for the Divine. This is the singer's first performance in support of the album. ...

Mandy Moore will perform "Extraordinary" on the season finale of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" on May 20. The "Makeover" team will spend the two-hour show rebuilding the home of a single mother with two adopted, HIV-positive sons and lending a hand at Camp Heartland, which helps children with HIV. ... Chrisette Michele, who was featured on singles by both Jay-Z ("Lost One") and Nas ("Can't Forget About You") earlier this year, will open for Musiq Soulchild on tour. The two hit the road beginning July 6 in Baltimore and make stops in cities including Chicago (July 11), Philadelphia (July 20) and Los Angeles (August 4) before wrapping things up August 6 in San Francisco. ...

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah will be in Los Angeles Thursday and Friday shooting scenes for "The Great Buck Howard," a film starring John Malkovich, Tom Hanks and Emily Blunt. CYHSY will play themselves in the film and contribute new songs as well. ... Is Ozzy Osbourne taking a tip from Stephen Colbert and the Decemberists? The Ozzman is asking fans to craft the video for his new single, "I Don't Wanna Stop," using performance footage of him and his band that was shot on green screen from seven angles. The winning entry will be serviced as the official clip for the song. Get your hands on the hi-res footage right here. ... Coheed and Cambria are beginning recording sessions for their next LP with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Stone Sour) in Los Angeles. Bassist Michael Todd, who left the band last August citing unspecified "personal reasons," has returned to the fold, and will contribute to the tentatively titled No World for Tomorrow. The disc should surface this fall, and will be the final chapter in the ongoing saga of Coheed and Cambria Kilgannon, the main characters in a story that wraps all the band's concept albums into one.

• Mariah Carey
• Justin Timberlake
• Kelly Clarkson
• Amy Winehouse
• Evanescence

Mary J. Blige
Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images

Mary J. Blige knows that her audience has changed in the 15 years since she released her debut album, and she's stepping up to the challenge. "My fans have children now that know me and love me the way my fans do," Blige said in the May issue of Redbook, which hits newsstands Tuesday. The singer, who is a stepmother to husband Kendu Isaac's three children, recalled a young girl who was "so nervous and shaking and she started crying" when she saw Blige. "I met one of my fan's daughters after a show, and her father was like, 'She really, really loves you.' ... And I said, 'Well, you know what that means. That means I have a whole other responsibility.' " ...

DMX was hit with bench warrants by judges in two cities in New York on Wednesday for failing to show up to court for traffic cases. According to The Associated Press, even Murray Richman, the rapper's lawyer, doesn't know where X is — or why he didn't make the trip from his home in Arizona to White Plains and Yonkers to face the charges. "He said he missed a flight," Richman said. "He's always missing flights." DMX had already skipped the Tuesday White Plains date — which was for June charges of speeding, changing lanes dangerously, driving without a seat belt and with a suspended license — but the judge granted him an extra day to show up. He was due in a Yonkers court to face an October charge of driving with a suspended license. ...

Swizz Beatz and Mya headlined a Giant magazine showcase Wednesday night at Cielo in New York. Nina Sky, "Wire" actor Hassan Johnson and Mashonda took in the festivities, which were helmed by DJ S&S. ...

Tom Hanks is in final negotiations to reprise his role as symbologist Robert Langdon in "Angels & Demons," a prequel to the worldwide blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Also written by Dan Brown, "Angels & Demons" centers on Langdon's search for a canister of antimatter hidden by the Illuminati to destroy Vatican City. Director Ron Howard is also in final negotiations to return for the flick, which is set to be released December 19, 2008. ...

Korn's temporary kitman Terry Bozzio has ended his involvement with the band after supplying the drum parts for Korn's upcoming, still-untitled LP. For now, it remains unclear just who'll be handling drum duty during Korn's upcoming tour, with original drummer David Silveria still on "hiatus." ... Marc Anthony is about to write the IRS a huge check. Turns out the Latin singer forgot to file tax returns from 2000 through 2004 on more than $15 million in income, so he's agreed to pay close to $2.5 million in back taxes, interest and penalties to correct the oversight, according to an AP story. The Manhattan District Attorney declined to prosecute Anthony because a professional accountant prepared his tax returns and the singer apparently thought the returns had been filed. Two of Anthony's business associates have pleaded guilty to tax felonies and are facing stiff fines. ...

Static-X canceled their Dallas gig Wednesday night as drummer Nick Oshiro recovers from a broken hand. In a message on the band's MySpace page, frontman Wayne Static said "we'll come back through as soon as we can," adding that "Nick is doing OK, although he's more than a little bummed that he's going to have to take a break from the tour." Static-X will be flying a temporary drummer in for the band's gig Friday in Houston, "with Nick re-joining the tour as soon as his cast comes off." ...

Novelist Kurt Vonnegut, a counterculture icon whose darkly comic novels became American classics, died on Wednesday in Manhattan at age 84 after brain injuries suffered during a fall several weeks ago, The New York Times reported. Vonnegut was best known for his biting 1969 anti-war novel "Slaughterhouse-Five," which detailed his experience as a prisoner of war during the firebombing of Dresden, Germany, in World War II and resonated with many young Americans who were against the Vietnam War. Through countless essays, plays, short fiction and 14 novels such as "Cat's Cradle" and "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater," Vonnegut used pessimistic humor, science fiction, philosophy, creative punctuation and sentence structure and a treasure trove of made-up religions, alternate human races and metaphysical phenomena to describe and comment on the human condition and our perilous place in the universe. ...

Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora finalized their divorce Thursday (April 12), AP reports. Custody of their daughter Ava, visitation rights and spousal support will be ordered in a proposed judgment that is being kept private. ... A federal judge has ruled that Collier County sheriff's deputies did not use excessive force in restraining Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida, in 2003, The Naples Daily News reports. The decision deals a blow to civil claims brought against the police by Lifeson and his son, Justin, who allege that deputies violated their civil rights with excessive force as well as "illegal detention." Lifeson and his son were charged with battery, resisting an officer with violence, and disorderly intoxication in connection with the incident, and last year accepted a deal offered by prosecutors, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence. They were sentenced to 12 months probation. ...

The Beatles' Apple Corps has settled a long-running $59 million royalty dispute with the EMI Group in a deal that experts predict could pave the way for the Beatles' music to finally be sold online. According to a Reuters report, no terms were announced in the March settlement, which came after the company representing the Beatles announced in December 2005 that it was suing EMI after negotiations over the nearly $60 million in unpaid royalties broke down. The new deal leaves EMI and Apple Corps open to negotiate a new royalty plan that could include download sales. ... Actor Roscoe Lee Browne has died after a long battle with cancer, AP reports. He was 81. Browne won an Emmy Award for his guest role as Professor Foster on "The Cosby Show," and he narrated the movie "Babe."

04.11.2007

Snoop Dogg entered a no-contest plea on Wednesday to the felony charges brought against him for sale or transportation of marijuana and illegal possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to five years' probation and will be required to perform 800 hours of community service; a three-year state prison sentence was suspended. The charges stem from the rapper's October arrest at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California. "Snoop accepts full responsibility for these matters," his attorney, Donald Etra, said in a statement. "He understands that, while he has every reason to seek security and protection, he cannot have a gun in his own vehicle, and he must only employ licensed security personnel. By the same token, although Snoop possesses a medical marijuana certificate, he recognizes he cannot possess more marijuana than permitted by that law. This was an expedited way of resolving these matters," Etra's statement continued. "It permits Snoop to get back to what he does best, namely, entertaining his fans through his music and films as well as serving his community as coach of his 2,000-member youth football league." ...

Zack de la Rocha will reunite with Tom Morello on Saturday — two weeks before Rage Against the Machine's reunion gig at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival later this month. De la Rocha and Morello will perform together in Chicago as part of the 2007 Coalition of Immokalee Workers Truth Tour. The two will participate in a parade that will make its way through downtown Chicago and return to the city's Federal Plaza for a celebratory rally. ...

Jennifer Lopez stuck up for one of her "American Idol" students on Wednesday (April 11), saying that Simon Cowell's assessment of contestant Haley Scarnato was "brutal" during an interview on Ryan Seacrest's Los Angeles radio show. After Scarnato's Tuesday night performance, Cowell said the contestant's revealing outfit was a smart way to win votes. "I don't think that's what she's doing," Lopez said. ... Proof's life is set to premiere on the big screen one year after the D12 rapper was killed. A documentary called "Time-A-Tell," which provides a look at Detroit's hip-hop scene, will include footage of the rapper in the studio as he worked on new music. "Time-A-Tell" is set to premiere Thursday at 8 p.m. in the GM Theater Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum. ...

The White Stripes have announced additional details about their upcoming Icky Thump album, due June 19. By now, you're already aware of the track list and the upcoming tour surrounding the disc, but did you know that the cover of Thump features a black-and-white photo of Jack and Meg White dressed as a Pearly King and Queen? For those not in the know — which is roughly 98 percent of you — Pearlies are Englishmen and women who dress in traditional cockney costumes, covered in mother-of-pearl beads. It's a manner of dress that dates all the way back to the late 19th century, when street merchants would sew pearls onto their clothing, and it only further expands the Stripes' growing Anglo obsession — the album's title is a play on the Yorkshire slang term "by ecky thump," which is used to express surprise — though that doesn't make it any less confounding. Oh, and also, Thump will apparently feature a song called "I'm Slowly Turning Into You," which, as a Stripes press release tells us, "may be the first song ever written based on a video treatment ... this one is inspired by Michel Gondry." ...

Avril Lavigne will return to "Saturday Night Live" as a musical guest for the third time on Saturday's episode, which will be hosted by Shia LaBeouf. Björk is also heading for an "SNL" third — she's performed once with the Sugarcubes and once solo — on April 21, when Scarlett Johansson will host the show for a second time. ... Paris Hilton told "Extra" that rekindling her friendship with Nicole Richie was as simple as dialing a number. "It was Nicole's birthday and I really missed her, and I just decided to pick up the phone and call her," Hilton said. "We just got together that night, and it was like there was never anything that happened." Despite their very public falling-out, Richie agreed that the two just picked up where they'd left off. "It was weird," she said. "like we had seen each other yesterday." ...

Guns N' Roses have postponed the start of their world tour, set to launch Saturday in Japan, due to an injury suffered by bassist Tommy Stinson. "I accidentally fell down a flight of stairs," he explained in a statement. "I put my hand down to break my fall and heard a loud 'pop.' The next morning my hand looked like a balloon. I went to see my doctor and while the good news is that it's not broken, the bad is news is it's severely sprained and I may have done some ligament damage." The band plans to reschedule whatever gigs they miss due to Stinson's ailment. ... In a March 26 decision made public this week, a New York State justice denied Janet Jackson's request to dismiss a $120 million suit filed against her and New York's Club Marquee after a February 2004 incident at the venue. Plaintiff Leonard Salati claims that he was assaulted at the nightclub by two men that he believed to be bodyguards for Jackson and Jermaine Dupri. New York Supreme Court Justice Rolando T. Acosta's decision also specifies that Jackson will be ordered to answer questions about the incident under oath, noting that the court "grants no exemptions for celebrity status." ...

After decades of shielding their private lives, the Jackson family is getting into the reality TV business, according to Variety. Unfortunately for nosy fans, the show in question isn't a tell-all, but an "American Idol"-style singing competition and instead of Michael and Janet Jackson sitting on the judges' panel, it will be siblings Jermaine, Tito and LaToya. The "Pop Dynasty" show will search for a new superstar singing family along the lines of the Jacksons, with segments that will explore the personal dynamics of the contestants sibling relationships. ... Willa Ford has been cast as Anna Nicole Smith in the independent film "Anna Nicole," Variety reports. The biopic is scheduled to begin filming next week. ...

Germs drummer Don Boles, who was jailed last week after police detected drugs in a bottle of soap found in his car during a traffic stop in Newport Beach, California, now has the soap manufacturer in his corner. The Los Angeles Times reports that Boles, who was pulled over for a broken taillight, was arrested on suspicion of felony narcotics possession after a field test detected date-rape drug GHB in the contents of a bottle of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. Executives at Dr. Bronner's hired an attorney to represent Boles on Monday. Company president David Bronner said that because the soap contains hemp oil, a test may detect THC (the active ingredient in marijuana), but called evidence of GHB "beyond belief," speculating that the test "must have been flawed or tampered with." Bronner said he does not believe that Boles was using the soap to carry the drug because the drummer would be foolish to lie about that when the Orange County Crime Lab is doing a definitive test of the bottle's contents.

• MTV News RAW: Mary J. Blige

• Mary J. Blige
• DMX
• Korn
• Marc Anthony
• Static-X

Tripp Eisen
Photo: Getty Images/J. Emilio Flores

Erstwhile Static-X and Dope guitarist Tripp Eisen was released from a California state prison last week, a little more than six months after his arrest on a single crimes-against-children count, and is — for now — a free man.

Eisen's freedom could end up being short-lived, depending on what next week brings. He's due to stand before a judge in New Jersey on October 7 for arraignment on charges of sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, luring and endangering the welfare of a child.

The guitarist's troubles began on February 10, when Eisen, whose real name is Tod Rex Salvador, was arrested on a single felony count of crimes against children (see "Static-X Guitarist Charged In Two Separate Sexual Assaults"). Authorities from the Orange County (California) Sheriff's Department found the 39-year-old musician sleeping in a parked car with an underage female he was alleged to have had sexual intercourse with. He was booked but later released on $100,000 bail.

Two weeks later, Eisen was arrested by New Jersey police on charges of kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, luring to entice a minor through the Internet and endangering the welfare of a child. The police claim Eisen had sex with a 14-year-old Sayreville girl he met online.

According to Steve Meister, Eisen's defense counsel for his California criminal case, the guitarist accepted the terms of a plea bargain on June 24. "He acknowledged his responsibility," Meister said, and pleaded guilty to two felony counts of engaging in unlawful sex with a minor. He was sentenced to a term of one year, but because he'd been in custody since late February, "[Eisen] had substantial custody credits" and wound up "serving just a couple of months."

Meister said that because Eisen pleaded guilty to felonies that weren't "as serious," he was only required to serve half of his one-year sentence. Eisen "made a mistake, he owned up to it, and he paid his penance," the attorney said.

According to Meister, the plea deal followed soon after "a preliminary hearing that substantially weakened the [prosecution's] case, but ultimately, we were not going to have the defenses available to us that we wanted, and so it became clear that we had to try to resolve it by way of a plea instead of a trial.

"The [California accuser's] credibility was very shaky," explained Meister. "She told people she was anywhere from 14 to 19. She told a cop one age, a detective another, [Eisen] another. She met him at an 18-and-older club, so she either had a fake ID or lied to the bouncers. We weakened the prosecution's case, but really, [Eisen] had a reasonable, good-faith belief that she was an adult."

According to Daryl Saunders, who'll represent Eisen in court next week, his client is obligated to appear at his New Jersey arraignment. Eisen was arrested in the midst of Static-X's recording of Start a War, which hit stores just 10 days before Eisen's aforementioned guilty plea. The band booted Eisen and replaced him with former guitarist Koichi Fukuda.

• Static-X
• Dope

Static-X (file)
Photo: Paul Brown

The arrest in late February of former Static-X guitarist Tripp Eisen on charges of kidnapping, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a minor — which stemmed from his alleged sexual involvement with two underage girls he'd met online — shocked Wayne Static, the heavy-metal band's frontman.

"We can't seem to put out an album without any drama," said Static, who is known for his tall wall of thick, jet-black hair. "I've talked to Tripp a couple of times. We haven't spoken about his case. Just like, 'How you doing?' We were as shocked as everyone else to hear about his arrest. There isn't really anything to talk about. If we thought he was up to no good, we wouldn't have kept time with him."

Eisen remains in police custody in California on $1 million bail and, according to Static, understood the band's collective decision to fire him. After all, Static-X have a new album, Start a War, ready for release on June 14, and there's a tour with American Head Charge and Bloodsimple they need to kick off in Las Vegas on June 8.

Static-X, now with Osaka, Japan, axeman Koichi Fukuda back in the fold, will shoot a video next week for the album's first single, "I'm the One." Paul Brown (Brides of Destruction, Marilyn Manson) will be behind the lens.

Start a War — which includes tracks like "My Damnation" and "Brainfog" — features fewer electronic elements and a greater emphasis on aggressive guitar riffage, according to Static. "All of our records seem to capture a certain period of time for us," he explained. "We had such a great time on tour that we wanted to continue that and have a lot of fun in the studio, and that comes through in the music. I wanted to strip things down on this record, so there's less loops and more straight-up drumming. It just has more of a live-band feel than our previous records."

The rest of this week's metal news:

While Scandinavian death metallers Dark Tranquility have been playing the heavy-metal game going on 17 years now, they've never amassed an Ozzfest-worthy following. Still, they've arguably become one of the genre's most resilient torchbearers. Their latest record, Character, is packed with solid, gloomy material. Frontman Mikael Stanne said, in surprisingly stellar English, that it "has been much more successful than any of our other albums," despite the fact that it's perhaps the band's least accessible work. For their latest video — for Character's infectious, ferocious opener, "The New Build" — Dark Tranquility brought director friend Roger Johansson (who shot the "Lost to Apathy" clip) on the road in Europe to film seven of the band's live gigs. "So the video's from that, the whole tour, and [features] lots of live footage, our antics backstage and us walking around in beautiful European cities," Stanne said. The band will wrap up its current U.S. tour on May 8 and then head to South America for a two-week road stint. Look for them back in the States in September. ...

As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage and Soilwork will be playing shows on Ozzfest off-dates this summer. A list of dates for these select gigs is expected within the week. ... Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar and Alabama Thunderpussy will embark on the Stone Breakers and Hellraisers Tour this summer, starting June 2 in Indianapolis. Dates are scheduled through June 14 in Wilmington, North Carolina. COC's first album in five years, In the Arms of God, was released April 12. Crowbar's most recent offering, Lifesblood for the Downtrodden, came out February 8, and Alabama Thunderpussy's Fulton Hill hit store shelves last year. ... The pride of Swedish metal, the progressive and melodic Opeth, have added keyboardist Per Wiberg as a full-time, permanent member of the band. Opeth, who've been toiling away on their next release, will — along with Lamb of God, Clutch and Poison the Well — co-headline the inaugural Sounds of the Underground Tour, which kicks off in Lowell, Massachusetts, on June 25. ...

New York hardcore/metal vets Madball are in a Massachusetts studio with producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Throwdown) working on their first studio album in five years. Legacy will come out in September and will feature singer Freddy Cricien and bassist Hoya's return to the band, following their work with their other group, Hazen Street. Madball will tour this summer on Sounds of the Underground. ... Technologically driven metalheads Fear Factory's new album, Transgression, has been scheduled for an August 23 release. The disc will include "New Promise" (co-written with Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton), "540,000 Degrees Fahrenheit" and "Echo of My Scream," which will feature former Faith No More bassist Billy Gould. ...

Toronto's No Warning, the first band signed to Linkin Park's Machine Shop label, will release their third album, Suffer, Survive, on October 19. In November, the band will tour with the Used, and in December it will hit the road with Hatebreed. ... Ex-Crown guitarist Marko Tervonen has started a new group called Angel Blake with Transport League singer Tony Jelencovich. The band will enter the studio at the end of the month to work on a batch of tracks, including "Lycanthrope," "Self-Terminate" and "Thousand Storms." Tervonen says the new material is pretty different than the Crown, featuring "no blast beats" and revolving around "heavy, melancholic songs." ...

Full Blown Chaos have been added to Himsa's upcoming Dirty Black Summer Tour, which goes down in June with Scars of Tomorrow, the Agony Scene and the Esoteric. An announcement of dates and venues is forthcoming. ... Great White will return to the road Friday (May 6) in Rockford, Illinois, and will remain on tour through September 10, when they'll play in Fort Worth, Texas. All proceeds will benefit the Station Family Fund, which provides assistance to victims of the Rhode Island fire at the Station, which killed 100 people. ... Tampa Bay, Florida, melodic death-metal band the Absence have finished recording their debut full-length with Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel). ...

English grindcore legends Bolt Thrower are in final rehearsals for their eighth, as-yet-untitled studio album. Next week, the band will enter Sable Rose Studios for three months to record the disc, which is tentatively scheduled for November release. Bolt Thrower's last album was 2001's Honour Valour Pride. ... Metalcore band Bury Your Dead will record their May 10 concert at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California, for an upcoming DualDisc live album and DVD. The as-yet-untitled album is scheduled for release July 12. ... New Jersey quintet Agents of Man will release their debut album, Count Your Blessings, on June 14. The disc was produced by Mike Barilie (Candiria, 40 Below Summer) at Purple Light Studios in Brooklyn.

• Static-X
• Dark Tranquility
• As I Lay Dying
• Fear Factory
• Great White

Britney Spears on the cover of April's <i>Allure</i>
Photo: Michael Thompson/Allure Magazine

In the April issue of Allure magazine, Britney Spears admits that she let herself go in recent months and that the beginning of her marriage to Kevin Federline has been somewhat rocky. The singer said that she was grateful that paparazzi shots revealed she was gaining more pounds than usual because "it made me see that I needed to lose weight." Pointing to her stomach, she told the magazine, "As you can see, I still have the honeymoon aftereffect ... I was just lounging around and eating and laying out and just didn't have a care in the world." That didn't help the honeymoon transition into a successful marriage, she said, because "hardcore" reality set in after the first three weeks. "Before we got married, we were on tour, and we were like kids, ordering room service, saying, 'Let's go out tonight.' And then all of a sudden, you have the kids," she told the magazine, referring to Federline's children, Kori and Kaleb, "you have the diapers, get the dogs to the vet. It's this whole reality, you know. But we handled it fine, and now things are starting to go really smooth." However, she's no longer hoping to have a child of her own in the immediate future. "I'm not pregnant," she said. "It's not something I've striving for." ... (See photos of Britney Spears in April's Allure.)

R. Kelly lost another round in court on Friday, when a Chicago judge rejected his bid to declare the Illinois child-pornography statute unconstitutional (and thereby dismiss the charges against him). Kelly's defense tried to make the argument that if it's not illegal to have sex with a 17-year-old, since that's the age of consent, it shouldn't be illegal to take pictures of a 17-year-old engaging in a sex act. Cook County Assistant State Attorney Shauna Boliker, however, successfully argued that the state lawmakers broadened the scope of the pornography statute and that the charges should stand. Kelly is due back in court on April 21. ... The diamond wedding ring Michael Jackson gave to ex-wife Debbie Rowe is on the block on eBay with a starting bid of $50,000. "This beautiful ring was given to Debbie and she would love someone to have it who appreciates the beauty and intention in which it was given," reads a note on the auction site. The bidding on the platinum ring — which has a two-carat, center-cut diamond surrounded by 14 brilliant-cut diamonds — is being sold on a reserve basis, which means the buyer must meet an unspecified target price. There were four early bids, but as of Tuesday (March 8), no legitimate bids had been made for the sale, which ends Thursday. ...

A week after confirming their split with guitarist Tripp Eisen — who was recently arrested on charges of kidnapping, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child — Static-X leader Wayne Static announced on the band's Web site on Monday that former guitarist Koichi Fukuda has rejoined the group. Fukuda played on the band's debut, Wisconsin Death Trip, and toured with the group for two years before leaving to spend more time with his family. Fukuda has been recording with Static-X since October and will perform live with them at the Galaxy in Santa Ana, California, on March 25. ... Hilary Duff, poet? Well, at least for one night, when she guest stars on "George Lopez" as a feminist named Kenzie who enters a poetry slam. Her episode airs Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. ...

Tweet has just finished shooting a video for the theme song to the updated version of "Kojak," which premieres March 25 on USA. Ving Rhames plays the title role. The clip for "When I Need a Man" was directed by Antti J. Jokinen (Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This"). "What I wanted to do was give Kojak a great intro," Tweet said in a statement. "I wanted to make a statement with this song — 'Don't mess with Kojak.' " The track will also appear on Tweet's album It's Me Again, out March 22. ... Carmen Electra is going to be a sex slave — for her new role on the Sci Fi Channel's half-hour animated series "Tripping the Rift." Electra is joining the voice cast for the second season, which debuts in July, as "Six," a sexy android whose function is to serve the carnal needs of a stumpy purple alien named Chode. She has the added value of being brainy as well, and acts as the unheeded voice of reason on Chode's smuggling vessel. ...

Several celebs are donating the clothes off their backs to benefit the Children's Defense Fund, Cure Autism Now, and the UNICEF Tsunami Relief Fund. The "Clothes Off Our Back" auction at www.clothesoffourback.org features clothing and accessories worn during the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Golden Globes, and movies such as "Be Cool," including Tyra Banks' Elie Saab gown, Leonardo DiCaprio's Prada tuxedo, Mark McGrath's Holland ESQ suit, Cate Blanchett's Judith Leiber handbag, Jimmy Jam's Stetson hat and Sarah Jessica Parker's Vivienne Westwood pants. ... The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers slapped an Illinois watering hole with a copyright-infringement lawsuit on Monday, after it was learned that the Led Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love" was performed there by a cover band back in October. Each year, ASCAP files an average of 200 lawsuits against businesses that "present musical entertainment" to the public without permission, an attorney representing the organization said. ASCAP has issued licenses to more than 100,000 music venues nationwide; one is required if a bar or club wants to bring in a cover band or DJ to perform, for example. The bar in question, 602 North in Glendale Heights, could not be reached for comment. ...

If it's good enough for Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, it's good enough for, um, Def Leppard and Bryan Adams? The British metal act and Canadian rocker will join forces this summer for the Rock 'N Roll Double-Header Tour, in which they'll play shows at 26 minor-league baseball stadiums. The tour is scheduled to kick off with a June 1 date in Portland, Oregon, at PGE Park (home of the Beavers), and end on August 10 in Lansing, Michigan, at Oldsmobile Park (home of the Lugnuts), according to a Def Lep spokesperson. The stage will be setup in the outfield and fans will be encouraged to sit on blankets on the field or watch from the stands. ... British buzz band Aqualung have the first single from the soundtrack to the upcoming Ashton Kutcher/ Amanda Peet romantic comedy, "A Lot Like Love." The band's "Brighter Than Sunshine" will be heard in trailers for the film, which traces the lives of a would-be couple as they keep running into each other over the course of seven years. Other artists featured on the soundtrack are Jet, the Cure, Travis, Butch Walker and Hooverphonic. The film hits theaters April 22, the soundtrack is in stores April 12, and Aqualung's first U.S. album, Strange and Beautiful, drops March 22. ...

Mandy Moore will soon add another stamp on her passport when she plays host for a series of events benefiting UNICEF in Japan. Moore, who has already been tapped to be the face of Coach's international spring advertising campaign, will travel to the land of the rising sun next month to cut the ribbon at the handbag and accessory brand's flagship store in Nagoya. The limited-edition Coach Scribble Signature wristbands will serve as a ticket to the charity concert at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on April 9, which will feature Moore as well as N.E.R.D. ...

03.07.2005

After months of speculation, there's finally substantive information on Weezer's upcoming fifth studio album. Namely, the name: Make Believe. The band confirmed the title in a post on Weezer.com, adding that the artwork for the LP was also very close to being completed. The group stopped short of giving up all the info, though; there's still no confirmed release date. ...

Foxy Brown turned herself in to New York City police late Monday evening (March 7) to face assault charges stemming from an incident at a nail salon in August. Details are scarce, but Foxy was issued an appearance ticket and released without bail, according to an NYPD spokesperson. ...

The Velvet Teddy Bear, Ruben Studdard, is involved in a not-so-cuddly lawsuit with his godfather/former business adviser. A lawyer for the "American Idol" crooner has slapped Ronald Edwards with a suit alleging that Edwards withdrew checks that add up to $90,000 from Studdard's account, ran up big charges on his credit cards and misused $246,000 without getting Studdard's permission. The suit is asking for unspecified damages. Edwards' attorney says that his client came to the aid of Studdard when the "Idol" contest starting heating up and had power of attorney to help Studdard by paying his rent and cell-phone bills as well as his accountant. The next step for Edwards in the battle against his godson will come in the form of a counterclaim, which his attorney says will be filed next week. ...

Snoop Dogg's Puff Puff Pass Tour is dropping like it's hot — on DVD. The two-disc set, featuring live performances of such hits as "Gin & Juice" and "Murder Was the Case," is due out March 22. The second disc features behind-the-scenes footage as well as the rapper's thoughts on the war in Iraq, Al Sharpton and George W. Bush. ... Snoop, Twista and WC are among the guests on Bone Thugs-N-Harmony rapper Layzie Bone's debut solo album, It's Not a Game, due May 31. Krayzie Bone and the Outlawz also make appearances on Layzie's first recording since the 2001 side project Mo Thugs Family Presents Thug by Nature. ...

The cost for expediting the visa process for U.K. bands coming to perform in the U.S. has some rockers' knickers in a twist. In the ramp-up to South by Southwest — which starts at the end of the week — many British bands are complaining that getting temporary visas has become increasingly difficult. With a 15-day express fee running more than $1,000 per visa request, some British advocacy groups, like the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, are grousing that U.K. bands will lose money by hauling themselves across the pond. The London Times has said that bands like Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand, who are well established in the States, may be awarded travel grants to ease the difficulty of entering the U.S. ... British rockers Muse will headline this year's Campus Invasion Tour. Razorlight will open on the trek, which begins April 8 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, and ends April 28 at Kent State University in Cleveland. ...

Last week a few tracks trickled out to the Internet via Seattle radio station the End 107.7, and now the entirety of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine has leaked online. The album, which has been in label limbo for more than two years, features such tracks as "Oh Sailor," "Red Red Red" and "Window." Sony still has yet to set a release date for the album. ... The same day the traditional version hits stores, Bruce Springsteen's upcoming album Devils & Dust (April 26) will also be released in DualDisc format. The two-sided disc will have the full album on one side, and live acoustic performances of the title track, "Long Time Comin'," "Reno," "All I'm Thinkin' About" and "Matamoras Banks" on the DVD side, with spoken introductions from the Boss. ...

Oasis have titled their sixth studio album Don't Believe the Truth. The record, due May 31, includes "Lyla," which recently hit the singles charts in the U.K. ... Scottish alt-rockers Teenage Fanclub will drop their latest effort, Man-Made, in May, via their own PeMa label. Fans anxious for the Fanclub's new material will get their chance to hear it in late March, but will need to cross the Atlantic to get it: a pair of shows has been set, the first in London at the Scala on March 29 and the second at Glasgow's Mitchell Theatre on March 31. Man-Made will be the band's first studio album since 2000's Howdy! ...

Hoboken, New Jersey's Yo La Tengo are officially an institution. The indie rockers will release the career-spanning retrospective Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs, 1985-2003 on March 22. The collection will be available in two versions: a two-disc "best-of" set and a three-disc anthology with a disc of 16 rarities and outtakes. The trio also recently completed soundtracks for the Sundance films "Game 6" and "Junebug," and they have a DVD slated to drop later in the year. ... Finch and Vendetta Red are pairing up for a spring tour that kicks off April 14 in West Hollywood, California, and wraps up April 30 at the Bamboozle festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Vendetta Red, who are playing several dates near their hometown of Seattle beforehand, will be previewing songs from their next album, Sisters of the Red Death, due this summer. ...

• Britney Spears
• R. Kelly
• Static-X
• Hilary Duff
• Tweet

Lindsay Lohan on the cover of April's <i>W</i>
Photo: Michael Thompson/W magazine

Lindsay Lohan responds to her dad's legal dramas in the April issue of W magazine, in which she says, "He doesn't even deserve my respect." The singer/actress disputes Michael Lohan's claims that he has a right to a share of her earnings, because "he didn't do anything for my career," she told the magazine. All he did, she said, was "go out and not come home at night and make my mom and me stay up and wonder where he was and then show up three days later. So I don't think he deserves anything." However, she's not immediately dismissive of his suggestion that their family star in a reality show. "As sick as it sounds, a reality show might help, actually," she told the magazine. "At least then people could get to the truth." ...

On day three of the Michael Jackson trial, former Jackson PR rep Ann Gabriel Kite testified on Wednesday to aspects of the conspiracy charge of keeping the accuser's family captive, saying that the crisis level the singer faced after the Martin Bashir documentary aired in February 2003 and when the 1993 case information was leaked on the Smoking Gun Web site was, on a scale of 1 to 10, a 25. "I felt it was beyond a disaster," she said. She said that one of the alleged co-conspirators, Marc Schaffel, called her sounding "extremely agitated" when the accuser and his family left Neverland, later calling her back, much calmer, to say that they had been "brought back to the ranch." Kite testified that a Jackson lawyer told her they didn't need to worry about the accuser's mother, "because they had her on tape and they were going to make her look like a crack whore," she said. ...

Bail for Static-X guitarist Tripp Eisen was set at a whopping $1 million on Monday. Eisen, who has been charged by authorities in California and New Jersey with kidnapping, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a minor for his alleged sexual involvement with two underage girls he met online, was unable to post that amount, according to his attorney, Mark Werksman. Meanwhile, Lt. Kevin Rehmann — in an interview with the Home News Tribune of East Brunswick, New Jersey — confirmed that Eisen's legal headache could get more intense. Police are now exploring the guitarist's possible involvement with other underage girls. "We've confiscated several computers to examine them, to see if there are other victims," Rehmann told the paper. "We suspect there may be [more] in several other states." ...

Omarion — who's already been on the big screen via "You Got Served" and "Fat Albert" — has signed on for two new films. The first, called "The House," is a horror movie and will be helmed by his manager and "Served" director Chris Stokes when it starts shooting in April, according to the singer's label rep. The second film, "Soldiers," is the sequel to "You Got Served," and will also be directed by Stokes, but there's no start date on that project yet. ... Vivica A. Fox will be one of three judges giving 10 aspiring actresses an opportunity to fulfill their dreams in a new reality show called "The Starlet." The Hollywood boot-camp series will put the girls through acting classes and screen tests and, of course, they will face brutal criticism from the celebrity judges. The winner will land a role on "One Tree Hill" and a one-year management contract. The show premieres Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on the WB. ...

Who knew Avril Lavigne was such a prankster? It seems the Canadian pop-punker is already drawing up her plans for April Fools' Day. "I always get everybody good on April Fools'," Lavigne told MTV Europe. "Last April I called up my mum and told her I was pregnant." She also called her manager and told him she had been in a terrible accident and was in the emergency room with a broken nose and black eyes. Uh, funny. ... Faith Evans' Capitol Records debut, First Lady, will hit shelves on April 5. Guests on the record include Pharrell Williams and Pusha T from the Clipse; the Neptunes, Jermaine Dupri and Mario Winans helped produce the project. The 13-track album will feature the single "Again," a video for which has been shot by Chris Robinson (Alicia Keys, Jay-Z). ...

Tori Amos' new album, The Beekeeper, just debuted at #5 on the Billboard albums chart, and now she's hitting the road to keep those sales figures up. On April 1 in Clearwater, Florida, she'll kick off her Original Sinsuality Tour, which will feature just her and her piano. Oh, and balladeer Matt Nathanson, who will open all the dates. ... Mike Watt is heading to Europe in April to promote The Secondman's Middle Stand, his third solo album. When he gets back, the legendary punk bassist will team up once again with the reunited Iggy and the Stooges and start work on a new solo album of "little songs, no opera," he said in a statement. ...

More dates have been added to Erasure's upcoming North American tour. The 38-date trek kicks off on April 14 in New York and runs through June 4, when the band will wrap things up with a gig in Toronto. Elkland will be handling opening-act duties. Erasure's new album, Nightbird, is in stores now. ... Shelby Lynne's self-produced new album, Suit Yourself (May 24), features guest spots from Wallflowers guitarist Michael Ward and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench. The bare-bones LP, recorded in living rooms and other intimate settings, includes a tribute to Johnny Cash called "Johnny Met June," recorded just moments after Lynne heard about the country icon's death. The singer will make her big-screen debut later this year playing the Man in Black's mother in the Cash biopic "Walk the Line." ...

03.01.2005

Coldplay will kick off their "biggest-ever world tour" on June 27 with a series of outdoor stadium shows in the U.K. According to a message sent out to subscribers at Coldplay.com, the band will be announcing further details of its tour in the coming weeks. For the first time, the group also publicly mentioned a release date — or at least a release month — for its still-untitled third album, writing that it would be released in June. ...

In day two of the Michael Jackson trial, journalist Martin Bashir tried to be excused from testifying, but his attempt failed when the judge decided he could choose which questions to answer or not. The prosecution played his documentary "Living With Michael Jackson," which the judge instructed the jurors to consider some parts of as evidence, other parts as hearsay. Jackson dabbed at his eyes during the playing of the documentary, and he threw up his hands seemingly in frustration during Bashir's testimony. Jackson's attorney also told jurors that Jackson would take the stand. ...

In a reunion slightly less likely than last year's Pixies capitulation, indie rock heroes Dinosaur Jr. will get together for the first time in 15 years to play the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan (July 29-31). Singer/guitarist J Mascis has reportedly ended his decade-plus feud with bassist Lou Barlow, and the pair are expected to rejoin drummer Murph for a string of summer theater and festival shows in Europe, tentatively followed by North American dates, according to a spokesperson at Merge Records, which is reissuing the band's first three albums on March 22. ... Red Hot Chili Peppers have written 35 songs for their next album and will hit the studio this month to record them. "We're so in love with the songs we wrote," singer Anthony Kiedis said. "We're working really hard." ...

Jennifer Lopez is now "enemy number one" for PETA, which plans to target the singer in a new campaign since her clothing line Sweetface uses so much fur. Animal-rights activists plan to storm her Times Square record singing at Virgin Records on Tuesday (March 1) by showing film footage of animals being skinned alive juxtaposed with images of J. Lo dressed in fur in her latest video. The footage was shot during an investigation of fur farms in China. "There is nothing remotely 'sweet' about the torture deaths of animals killed for fur," PETA's Dan Mathews said in a statement. ... Mötley Crüe will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The rockers will arrive via choppers. ...

The upcoming flick "Batman Begins," which explains the origins of the elusive Bruce Wayne and other aspects of the iconic superhero, will hit screens on June 17 in both regular theaters and IMAX theaters. ... Singer/pianist John Legend will head to Miami this month to headline one of the three Sunset Sessions for the M3 Music Summit, a gathering that merges music, technology, art, fashion and multimedia. Legend will perform on March 24 at the Doubletree Surfcomber Hotel. ... The Recording Industry Association of America filed its latest round of copyright-infringement lawsuits on Monday, targeting 753 people it suspects of illegally distributing songs online. Since September 2003, the RIAA has sued 9,100 individuals and settled with more than 1,900, according to an RIAA spokesperson. ...

The estate of late Damageplan/ Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott will most likely be split right down the middle between his brother, Damageplan/ Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul, and his father, country and western songwriter Jerry Abbott, according to the Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Abbott family's lawyer, Steve McClure, told the paper Dimebag had no formal written will at the time of his death. This, however, has not fueled familial bickering over his assets, which were estimated at $700,000, McClure said; that total does not reflect Dimebag's music-publishing rights, a value yet to be determined. Paul will more than likely serve as the administrator of his slain brother's estate. Meanwhile, Paul appeared onstage with Disturbed and Anthrax during a benefit concert honoring Dimebag's memory in Chicago on February 23 — the first time he performed since the onstage murder of his brother on December 8, 2004. ...

Alter Bridge, the band that's made up of old Creed boys plus singer Myles Kennedy, are set to headline the fifth Jägermeister Music Tour, kicking off in New York on March 29. The group will be joined by Chevelle tour alums Future Leaders of the World and Texas newcomers Submersed. ... Post-punk legends Gang of Four are heading out on a reunion tour of North America in May. The band — singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bassist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham — recently played a string of U.K. shows, the group's first since 1981. Following their May 1 date at the Coachella Festival in Indio, California, Gang of Four will play a pair of dates at the Fillmore in San Francisco May 2-3, then trek across the continent before winding down in Philadelphia on May 21. ...

Barenaked Ladies have finished the pilot for their sketch-comedy series for FOX. "It's us getting into strange situations, hijinks, we slap the stick occasionally," singer Steven Page said recently. The Ladies are also writing their next album as well as music for a production of Shakespeare's "As You Like It" at the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada. ... The Wonder Stuff are about to strut some new stuff — the U.K. band, known for such bouncy alt rock hits as "The Size of a Cow," "Cartoon Boyfriend" and "Don't Let Me Down, Gently," is back with its first new studio album in 12 years, Escape From Rubbish Island, due out March 22. The group is also heading out on the road, starting April 4 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The 23-date trek winds up May 8 in New York. ...

• Lindsay Lohan
• Michael Jackson
• Static-X
• Omarion
• Avril Lavigne

Static X's Tripp Eisen (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Static-X guitarist Tripp Eisen is in police custody in California after being arrested by authorities in two states on charges that include kidnapping, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from two separate incidents involving sexual relations with minors.

On February 10, Eisen, whose real name is Tod Rex Salvador, was arrested on one felony count of crimes against children. Authorities from the Orange County (California) Sheriff's Department found the 39-year-old musician sleeping in a parked car with an underage female with whom he'd just had sexual intercourse, according to Bergen, New Jersey's The Record. Eisen was taken into custody and released on $100,000 bail several hours later.

On February 24, Eisen was arrested again — on charges of kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, luring to entice a minor through the Internet and endangering the welfare of a child — on a fugitive warrant by two detectives who had flown in from New Jersey. According to New Jersey State Police officer Kevin Rehmann, the guitarist, a former resident of the state, allegedly had sex with a 14-year-old Sayreville girl he had met through "Find-a-Freek," an online community offered on Fetischmusic.com.

Rehmann said that Eisen began exchanging e-mails with the girl in October, and then arranged to meet her at a New Jersey shopping center on January 7. Eisen then drove to the mall from Pennsylvania, where he was visiting family, and he and the girl drove around in his truck before having "consensual" sex. Police became aware of the assault after the victim's mother reported the incident to local authorities.

Eisen's Fetischmusic.com handle was "groveryodadata." On the guitarist's profile, he said he was a Republican, boasted of holding a Ph.D., and expressed interest in meeting people of all educational levels, including "elementary" school. According to Rehmann, Eisen also claimed to be a 31-year-old fan of Static-X who dressed like Eisen. His last login was on February 23, the night before he was arrested.

If convicted, Eisen could face up to 30 years in prison on the kidnapping charge alone.

Eisen has been in police custody since his February 24 arrest, but was scheduled to appear in Central Justice Center Court in Santa Ana, California, on Monday afternoon (February 28). It's expected the guitarist will remain in police custody in California until he's cleared for extradition to New Jersey.

A statement released by Static-X on Monday read in part, "Static-X has parted ways with guitarist Tripp Eisen, effective immediately. Tripp is currently dealing with personal issues that prohibit him from being able to fulfill his commitment to the band. No replacement has yet been chosen. Static-X is in the studio putting the finishing touches on its fourth Warner Bros. album, scheduled to be released in May. The band will tour this summer in support of the record."

Eisen's attorney, Mark Werksman, expressed confidence that his client's "name will be cleared."

• Static-X

MTV Exclusive: Static-X Photos

• Static-X

Family Values Tour: 10.24.01

• Linkin Park
• Staind
• Static-X
• Stone Temple Pilots